People

Herophilus of Chalcedon (c. 330-260 BCE)

Herophilus of Chalcedon was a Greek physician. He practised in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, a centre of ancient learning. He and another Greek doctor, Erasistratus of Ceos (c. 315 - c. 240 BCE), pioneered human dissection for medical research. They may have also performed human vivisection with the support and patronage of Egyptian rulers, as they were allowed to experiment on the living bodies of criminals condemned to death.

Herophilus became known mostly for his anatomical works. These influenced later medical researchers such as Galen. However, he also developed a text on midwifery and an important system of pulse classification. The latter shaped diagnostic practice in ancient Greece and Rome.